Biologists ask public to report horseshoe sightings

March 29, 2007
Contact: Wendy Quigley, (727) 896-8626

St. Petersburg—Biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute need help from the public in identifying horseshoe crab spawning beaches throughout the state.

The best time to find horseshoe crabs spawning is around a high tide right before or just after a full or new moon. The next full moon will be on Monday, April 2.

Observant beachgoers can report the time, date and location of horseshoe crab sightings through one of the following convenient options.

Biologists also want to know how many horseshoe crabs observers see and whether the horseshoe crabs are spawning.

To manage the species more effectively, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission requires all Atlantic coastal states to identify horseshoe crab spawning beaches.

Horseshoe crabs benefit humans in several ways. For instance, research on the compound eyes of horseshoe crabs led to better understanding of the human visual system, and horseshoe crab blood is useful in the biomedical industry. In addition, manufacturers use the material that makes up the horseshoe crab’s shell (chitin) to make contact lenses, skin creams and hair sprays.

Many citizens have responded to the horseshoe crab nesting beach survey since it began in 2002. Biologists regularly update the survey results. Visit http://research.MyFWC.com/features
/view_article.asp?id=20822 to see how many reports have come from individual counties.